IPL 2025: 5 RCB players who didn't do well, but can be retained for IPL 2026

T20 form is a rollercoaster—slumps are inevitable, especially for players adapting to new roles or returning from injury. Rather than wholesale change, retaining the following five players sends a message: RCB values potential and understands that one lean season doesn’t define a career. With clearer roles, targeted coaching, and a stable environment under new leadership, they can rebound and help reignite RCB’s title charge in IPL 2026.

As RCB plot their course for IPL 2026, here are five players whose returns this season underwhelmed, yet whose raw skills and team roles make a compelling case for retention.

1. Mayank Agarwal 

Brought in mid-season as Devdutt Padikkal’s injury cover, Mayank Agarwal had only four innings to stake his claim. He managed 95 runs at an average of 31.66 and struck at 148.43 — modest figures for someone once recognised as India’s Test batting trailblazer. 

Yet Agarwal’s technically sound defence and penchant for pacing an innings against quality pace make him an ideal middle-order anchor. In a squad seeking balance, his proven adaptability—from opening to No. 3—adds depth that transcends a brief off-season slump.

2. Suyash Sharma 

The 22-year-old leggie arrived amid fanfare but ended IPL 2025 with 8 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 55.25 and an economy of 8.84. His googly flummoxed batters on one memorable Qualifier night (3/17), yet inconsistency and a near-career-threatening hernia surgery meant he finished largely wicketless in most games. 

RCB’s faith in him during his recovery speaks volumes: Suyash’s ability to extract turn on home tracks and his calm under pressure hint that, with proper workload management, he can still become a frontline spinner for years to come.

3. Nuwan Thushara 

Acquired for his brisk seam and late-overs punch, Thushara got to participate in just one game in the entire season. The team could not trust him much, and so he could not get many games under his belt. 

What makes Thushara worth another look is his unique angle and ability to skid the ball through at pace—qualities that, finely tuned under RCB’s coaching, can morph him into the death-overs specialist every top IPL side craves. He can surely be retained and given another chance, especially since he got into the team at a rather cheaper price.

4. Lungi Ngidi 

Signed as a backup to Josh Hazlewood, Ngidi managed 4 wickets in just 2 outings but at a stingy economy of 10.12. In those matches, he demonstrated raw speed and clean seam movement, yet a lack of extended game time prevented him from finding sustained rhythm. 

Given his base-price tag of just Rs 1 crore, Ngidi’s proven T20 pedigree, and the partnership he receives alongside Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar, makes him a smart retention. A low-risk asset that can be unleashed when conditions favour express pace.

5. Rasikh Salam Dar 

Invested heavily in his potential, Rasikh Salam Dar was bought by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru for a hefty amount of Rs 6 crores. He was bought with great hope and trust for the pace attack alongside Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar. He got to play in just two games, where he bowled six overs and spent as many as 70 runs at a mind-boggling average of 70 with an economy of 11.66 and took just one wicket. 

He surely is a talented bowler and is quite young, so he has a great chance of making a great comeback next year and can be retained.

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